Systems and methods for using surgical robots with navigation arrays

Abstract

Surgical systems and methods are disclosed, including, in one embodiment, a system having a coupling system disposed on a distal end portion of a surgical robot arm that secures a navigation array to the robot arm in a plurality of different orientations. The system further includes a navigation system configured to determine a precise location of the distal end portion by measuring a precise location of the navigation array by visually observing the navigation array, receiving a location of the coupling system via one or more encoders in the robot arm, determining the orientation of the navigation array relative to the robot arm based on the visual observation of the navigation array and the received location of the coupling system, and determining the precise location of the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm based on a known spatial relationship between the distal end portion and the coupling system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A surgical system comprising:
 a surgical robot arm having a coupling system disposed on a distal end portion of the surgical robot arm and one or more encoders for determining the location of the coupling system, wherein the coupling system is configured to secure a navigation array to the surgical robot arm in a plurality of different orientations; 
 a navigation array coupled to the surgical robot arm via the coupling system in one of the plurality of different orientations, the navigation array including a plurality of tracking elements arranged in a fixed geometry relative to one another; and 
 a navigation system configured to determine a precise location of the distal end portion of the surgical robot by:
 measuring a precise location of the navigation array by visually observing the navigation array, 
 receiving a location of the coupling system via the one or more encoders, 
 determining the orientation of the navigation array relative to the surgical robot arm based on the visual observation of the navigation array and the received location of the coupling system, the orientation of the navigation array defining a precise location of the coupling system based on the determined precise location of the navigation array, and 
 determining the precise location of the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm based on a known spatial relationship between the distal end portion and the coupling system. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling system comprises a plurality of mounting locations, each mounting location being configured to secure the navigation array to the surgical robot arm in one of the plurality of different orientations. 
     
     
       3. The surgical system of  claim 2 ,
 wherein determining the orientation of the navigation array includes determining which of the plurality of mounting locations the navigation array is secured to, and 
 wherein determining the precise location of the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm is based on a known spatial relationship between the distal end portion and the plurality of mounting locations. 
 
     
     
       4. The surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the navigation system receiving the location of the coupling system includes receiving, from the coupling system, an indication of the orientation of the navigation array secured by the coupling system. 
     
     
       5. The surgical system of  claim 4 , wherein the coupling system comprises a moveable coupler configured to allow the navigation array to move between the plurality of different orientations while the navigation array is secured to the coupling system. 
     
     
       6. The surgical system of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the coupling system comprises an encoder responsive to an orientation of the moveable coupler that corresponds to the orientation of the navigation array, 
 wherein the indication of the orientation of the navigation array comprises an indication of the orientation of the moveable coupler based on the encoder. 
 
     
     
       7. The surgical system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm further comprises a tool end effector configured to move with respect to the surgical robot arm and defining at least one spatial parameter with respect to the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm, and 
 wherein the navigation system is configured to precisely determine the at least one spatial parameter when a tool having a second navigation array is mounted to the tool end effector by:
 determining a precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array by observing the second navigation array, and 
 calculating the at least one spatial parameter based on the determined precise location of the distal end portion with respect to the navigation array. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The surgical system of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array includes an axis, and 
 the at least one spatial parameter includes a distance or an angular orientation of the tool end effector with respect to the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm. 
 
     
     
       9. The surgical system of  claim 8 ,
 wherein determining the precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array includes observing the second navigation array during a movement of the second navigation array by the tool end effector to determine an axis of rotation of the tool end effector, and 
 the at least one spatial parameter further includes a spatial relationship between the axis of rotation of the tool end effector and the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm. 
 
     
     
       10. The surgical system of  claim 7 ,
 wherein determining the precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array includes observing the second navigation array during a movement of the second navigation array by the tool end effector to determine a location of an axis of rotation of the tool end effector, and 
 the at least one spatial parameter further includes a spatial relationship between the axis of rotation of the tool end effector and the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm. 
 
     
     
       11. The surgical system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the coupling system comprises one or more sensors configured to detect the orientation of the navigation array, and 
 wherein determining the orientation of the navigation array is further based on a received indication of the orientation of the navigation array from the one or more sensor of the coupling system. 
 
     
     
       12. A surgical method comprising:
 positioning a navigation array attached to a coupling system of a distal end portion of a surgical robot arm in an orientation of a plurality of different orientations defined by the coupling system; 
 determining a location of the coupling system of the surgical robot arm using one or more encoders of the surgical robot arm; and 
 determining a precise location of the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm using a navigation system by:
 measuring a precise location of the navigation array by visually observing the navigation array, 
 receiving the location of the coupling system via the one or more encoders, 
 determining the orientation of the navigation array based on the visual observation and the received location of the coupling system, the orientation of the navigation array defining a precise location of the coupling system based on the determined precise location of the navigation array, and 
 determining the precise location of the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm based on a known spatial relationship between the distal end portion and the coupling system. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The surgical method of  claim 12 , wherein positioning a navigation array includes detaching the navigation array from a first mounting location of the coupling system and attaching the navigation array to a second mounting location of the coupling system, wherein each of the first and second mounting locations secure the navigation array to the surgical robot arm in one of the plurality of different orientations. 
     
     
       14. The surgical method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein determining the orientation of the navigation array includes determining which of the first and second of mounting locations the navigation array is attached to, and 
 wherein determining the precise location of the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm is based on a known spatial relationship between the distal end portion and the plurality of mounting locations. 
 
     
     
       15. The surgical method of  claim 12 , wherein receiving the location of the coupling system includes receiving, from the coupling system, an indication of the orientation of the navigation array secured by the coupling system. 
     
     
       16. The surgical method of  claim 15 , wherein positioning a navigation array includes moving the navigation array from a first orientation to a second orientation of the plurality of different orientations while attached a moveable coupler of the coupling system. 
     
     
       17. The surgical method of  claim 16 , comprising
 receiving, from an encoder of the coupling system an indication of an orientation of the moveable coupler that corresponds to the orientation of the navigation array, 
 wherein the indication of the orientation of the navigation array comprises an indication of the orientation of the moveable coupler based on the encoder. 
 
     
     
       18. The surgical method of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm further comprises a tool end effector configured to move with respect to the surgical robot arm and defining at least one spatial parameter with respect to the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm, 
 wherein the navigation system is configured to precisely determine the at least one spatial parameter when a tool having a second navigation array is mounted to the tool end effector by:
 determining a precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array by observing the second navigation array, and 
 calculating the at least one spatial parameter based on the determined precise location of the distal end portion with respect to the navigation array. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The surgical method of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array includes an axis, and 
 the at least one spatial parameter includes a distance or an angular orientation of the tool end effector with respect to the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm. 
 
     
     
       20. The surgical method of  claim 19 ,
 wherein determining the precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array includes observing the second navigation array during a movement of the second navigation array by the tool end effector to determine an axis of rotation of the tool end effector, and 
 the at least one spatial parameter further includes a spatial relationship between the axis of rotation of the tool end effector and the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm. 
 
     
     
       21. The surgical method of  claim 18 , wherein determining the precise spatial parameter of the second navigation array includes observing the second navigation array during a movement of the second navigation array by the tool end effector to determine an axis of rotation of the tool end effector, and
 the at least one spatial parameter further includes a spatial relationship between the axis of rotation of the tool end effector and the distal end portion of the surgical robot arm.